The bedtime story told by Serge Morris to Cille and her two brothers was
always the same. "In one of the biggest, finest houses in the District,
there was a young man living whose name was Dennis," Serge would begin.
"Dennis' family was the most important family in six streets, and they
didn't like to let theirselves forget it none. They had two buggies,
and three horses (In case one got sick) . . . They had everything."

One day (Serge would continue as he sat with the kids in their
warp-walled house...